THOSE who are pushing for an ICC intervention on purely Philippine (read, domestic) affairs are in for a disappointment.
President BBM has finally said NO to attempts at allowing ICC prosecutors to start their probe on former President Digong Duterte’s drug records on grounds of human rights violation. This event followed after the House of Representatives led by former President and now Congressman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came up with a House resolution calling for a collective defense of Duterte against the importunings of ICC.
And rightly so.
There could be no legal justification for ICC to enter our shores and extend its probe on matters that are purely domestic.
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So with BBM’s big NO, the ICC has no other recourse but to respect his decision which, in international law, is basically the decision of the Philippine government.
And with that, there is no chance for any ICC prosecutor to come and investigate, they can rant and rant for all they care, but they can only do that outside of the Philippine shores.
Of course, their tuta in the country can cry to the heavens and invoke all the expletives in their coco shell but for all intents and purposes, the attempt at an ICC probe of the former president is now dead on the water.
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Aside from the issue of sovereignty, it would also pose a dangerous precedent.
If we allow the ICC to investigate the acts of our former presidents, then there is no stopping them from investigating anybody they fancy.
They can investigate the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Senators and the Members of the House of Representatives.
They can also investigate the police, the military, the governors, the mayors, the barangay officials and practically anybody.
Ganahan mo ana?
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This is similar to the planned charter change or chacha.
If we allow a constituent assembly or a constitutional convention to amend the constitution, then there is no stopping them from tinkering into any and all provisions in the constitution, including term limits. Meaning, they can do anything they want as if they are granted blanket authority to make changes or even completely revise the constitution.
That’s why there is popular distrust to any proposal to amend the fundamental law of the land.
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Meanwhile, I wonder how IBP-Bohol will respond to the “answer” or “response” of Willy Ramasola on their published appeal for Ramasola to “tone down” his birada against a Bohol Judge.
They wanted Ramasola to stop his birada on social media and file the appropriate charges in the proper forum, which is, the courts.
And they invoked delicadeza on their published appeal.
Instead of heeding the call, Ramasola put into issue IBP-Bohol’s integrity and sense of delicadeza.
He challenged the practice of some lawyer-members who are also into highly questionable activities.
In other words, Ramasola not only dropped his bombs on a particular Bohol Judge, he also threw explosives at some lawyer-members of IBP-Bohol.
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So what is clear is this.
Imbes ang usa ka Bohol Judge ra unta to ang gibanatan ni Ramasola, pero tungod sa gi-published nga “appeal” sa IBP-Bohol, iya na hinuon giapil ang mga sakop sa IBP-Bohol nga matod pa niya, naghimo sab og mga salawayon nga buhat.
Unsaon kaha na pagtubag o unsa kahay buhaton ron sa IBP-Bohol isip tubag sa banat ni Ramasola?
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I asked a Judge if he felt alluded to by the birada of Ramasola and his answer was simple.
Wa man, wa man ko naghimo ana so buot ipasabot, dili na ako. Lain ang gipasabot ana ni Ramasola, was his answer.
My follow-up was – husto ba ang gibuhat ni Ramasola nga banatan niya sa social media ang maong Huwes?
Katungod pod na niya nga tukion sa social media kay demokrasya god ta, way makapugong niya kon iya nang buhaton. Mapugngan lang na siya kon kasuhan pod na siya og online libel kay nakalapas siya sa balaod. Pero kon way order sa court, gawasnon siya nga mokomentaryo o mopahungaw sa iyang hunahuna.
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Let’s go back to the issue involving IBP-Bohol.
Ramasola spiced up his “charges” of shenanigan against lawyer-members of IBP-Bohol who he claimed, are also into the “business” of the Bohol judge by providing their initials.
Somebody who called me up last Thursday night already recited to me the possible identity of the lawyers whose initials are provided by Ramasola. He explained that the fact that they were identified as former “staffers” of the Provincial Legal Office is a dead giveaway.
Sayon ra kaayo pag-ila kon kinsa nang mga tawhana kay taga-PLO man kuno na sila sa una, he proudly said.
And I could not hide my amazement.
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And on the part of the Bohol Judge, Ramasola continued his “attacks” by providing pictures showing the partially-shaded face of the Judge, some text messages bearing the partially shaded (but still visible) name of the Judge.
This means one thing – somebody is providing Ramasola with the necessary information, including pictures and text messages. And this somebody must be privy to some activities involving the Judge and the lawyer-members of IBP-Bohol.
It is even possible that the RAT is also a lawyer or even a judge or even a court employee or somebody who is suheto sa mga kalihokan sa korte.
Basin gani og sakop ra pod sa Bohol Judge ang nag-provide sa info ni Ramasola.
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Now, back to the question.
Unsaon man na ron sa mga opisyales sa IBP-Bohol, pasagdan lang nila ang birada ni Ramasola batok sa mga sakop sa IBP-Bohol nga matod pa nangurakot o ilang tubagon?
Kon pasagdan lang nila, unsa kahay reaction sa mga tawo sa ilang pagpakahilom?
Kon ilang tubagon, unsaon pod kaha nila pagtubag? Ikaduha, kon ilang tubagon, mahunong na kaha ang banatanay o mosamot na hinuon? For sure, many Boholanos are breathless with anticipation on future developments